SUV Rollover Ratings Improve

The Daily Auto Insider: Sport-utility vehicles are earning high marks in government rollover tests.

Sport-utility vehicles are earning high marks in government rollover tests, Reuters reported.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the number of SUVs with a four-star rollover rating out of a possible five stars has increased substantially since the ratings began in 2001.

In 2001, just one SUV earned four stars, but 24 SUVs earned a four-star rating in newly released rollover test results for 2005 model year vehicles.

For 2005 model year vehicles tested, the highest rated SUV was the Freestyle 4x4, earning four stars, with a 13 percent chance of rollover if involved in a single-vehicle crash.

The 2005 , a carry-over vehicle from 2004, also earned four stars and a 13 percent chance of rollover during the 2004 model year testing.

For pickups, the highest rated vehicle was the and its twin, the GMC Canyon, the Dodge Dakota 4x4, and the Dodge Ram 1500 4x2 — each earning four stars and a 17 percent chance of rollover if involved in a single-vehicle crash.

The complete list of 2005 vehicles rollover results, including carryover results from previous model years, is available at .

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